An Enigmatic Christmas
by Organization-XIII-Roxas
Summary: Roxas is not looking forward to another lonely Christmas. However, after an inflatable snow globe that Roxas was going to purchase is taken by a red head in a local store, this blonde's Christmas is turned completely upside down. No Flames. R&R.


A/N: Hey guys. Long time no see, huh? Well, I wrote this back in January of this year and well… It's been sitting on a flash drive forever. It was written for Christmas, and I'll upload it on DeviantArt around that time. For now, here's an early Christmas Present. ;) Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square Enix and Nomura. If you guys want me to continue it, let me know and I'll reconsider making it a oneshot. Enjoy.

::~An Enigmatic Christmas~::

The young blond gave a small sigh, snuggling a bit further into his checkered scarf as he glanced around the busy town square with dull sapphire orbs. Holiday lights lay strewn across the windows, blinking in various colors and designs while small trees stood within the shop windows, adorned with numerous colorful ornaments. Christmas time, the joyous season where you could get presents for your loved ones, whether it was that stuffed animal your little sibling always wanted or those blue bunny slippers for your great grandma. For Roxas, though, it was a bit different.

_Another lonely Christmas…_

The teen paused and watched as some younger children run about, patting snow together in their gloved hands and firing the projectiles at each other. They laughed and dodged, running and scattering as one child began to launch a series of snowballs from a small pile he made on the ground. Adjusting his checkered coat, Roxas huddled into it a bit more and pressed on towards his original destination — the local store. When he finally spotted the bright neon red sign five minutes later, he pushed open the door and gave a small sigh of relief as he felt the warm heat, shrugging his scarf off for a moment as he grabbed one of the green shopping carts to the right of him. Now, to start his mission: buying Christmas decorations.

Roxas strode down the aisle to the very back of the store, looking from shelf to shelf and grabbing random items along the lines of candle sticks, a fake Christmas tree, some ornaments, and so on. The reason he _always_ came to the very back first was because everything along the shelves was discounted. Either the stock was from previous years or it just didn't sell very well, and the male lived for bargains. Being seventeen didn't mean he had money to just throw around. Heck, he didn't even have a very good job. The blond was lucky that he even had the money to get the decorations after months and months of saving in preparation of this day. He gave another once over of the shelves and then blinked as something at the very bottom caught his eye. There sat a red box with the label that had a picture of a snowman on it.

An inflatable snow globe.

The blond had seen them in other yards way down the street and they looked rather fancy, and surprisingly, this one was very cheap. Smiling at the fact he had just gotten extremely lucky, he proceeded down the aisle, focusing solely on the item he wanted to claim. He reached out to grab the box. Another hand lightly touched the box first.

Roxas hesitated, reflexively drawing his hand back a bit. _Big_ mistake. The other individual gripped and hoisted the decoration out from the wooden shelf and unceremoniously dumped it into his own green carriage with other various items. The blond gave a low growl, narrowing his eyes and stood from his previous squatting position. What the hell was this guy's problem? Did he _not_ see that he was gonna grab the damned box first?

"Hey! I was going to get that!" The teen snapped, crossing his arms across his chest in irritation.

When it came to stupid shit like that, Roxas did _not_ have the patience for it.

The taller male turned, acidic green eyes meeting cobalt blue in amusement. The individual's hair was fire truck red, in a way that just couldn't be natural. Two black upside down tear drop tattoos lay beneath the vibrant poison green eyes and this guy had a tall, lanky figure. You'd swear he was anorexic or something.

"Well now, what's a shorty like you going to do with something," The male tapped the box, giving a wide smirk. "Like this?"

"Put marshmallows on it and throw it in some hot chocolate." The younger barked sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "I'm gonna put it in my fucking yard, you asshat! And you just took it when you _clearly_ saw I was going to get it!"

"Maybe next time you should walk a little faster then."

"YOU SAW ME, DAMMIT! WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?" Roxas snarled, hands balling into fists. "Just give me the goddamned box!"

"Whoa, chill kid. _Chill._" The red head said sheepishly, holding his hands up in mock surrender and inching back a few steps.

But the younger was far from done. Muttering profanities under his breath, he stormed back to his cart and snatched one of the fake candles before whipping back around, glaring daggers. He was going to get that damned box back, even if it meant clobbering that guy with a plastic Christmas decoration. Or, at least he _would_ have.

But the red head had vanished.

"Son of a—!"

The teen gave a frustrated yell before he dropped the decoration back into the carriage and silently fumed. That guy was gone, and so was the inflatable snow globe. Shoving the cart a bit harder than he should have been, the blond marched up to the cashier, while scowling, and slammed his items onto the counter, one by one. The employee at the register gulped a bit and began to quickly ring up the items.

Yes, the blond was now in a very bad mood.

•••

Green bags lightly bobbed in Roxas' arms as he made his way back home, flakes of new powdery snow beginning to fall with ease. The teen was wondering where he could put the decorations. There were a lot of places he could put them, but where would be the best?

_I can probably set the candles up in the window and maybe the tree can go in the living room._

As the younger continued to think, sneakers crunching in the hardening snow, he recognized his house. It was rather small, enough for two or three people at most, but that didn't bother Roxas. He was alone anyways, so who would he have over? As he continued to ponder, something red caught his eye in the yard to the left of his own…

And then he dropped his bags, staring in disbelief. There, right _there_, in front of his neighbor's house was the _exact_ inflatable snow globe he had been trying to get at the store before that jackass came and took it.

And speak of the devil. The red head turned and spotted the blond, smiling and giving a friendly wave.

_Oh. Hell. No._

"Merry Christmas." He called merrily. And that set the blond off.

"Merry Christmas? Well Merry-go-fuck-yourself!" Roxas snarled as he grabbed his bags from their places in the snow and then stomped up to his door angrily. Before the other male could so much as call out to him or respond, Roxas forcefully opened his door before slamming it behind him and locking it. More profanities swam through his mind as he dumped the Christmas items he had bought onto the couch, rather lucky that nothing broke from the rash action. Giving a scowl, the blond crossed his arms across his chest as he brooded. Not only would he be lonely again this year, but he would _also_ have to deal with the fact that his neighbor had taken the last inflatable snow globe that _he_ was going to get and then proceeded to _mock_ him by placing it out in all its glory on his front lawn! What a jolly Christmas this was starting to turn out to be!

"I swear to god that by the time the season ends, I'm going to have blood on my hands." Roxas hissed, glaring angrily at the objects from his 'mission'.

One cup of hot chocolate later, the teen had calmed considerably as he warmed his hands around the mug. This was something he enjoyed. Simple pleasures. Just the fact that he could sit there on a cold winter day and just be glad he was able to save a few packets of hot chocolate was good enough for him.

But then why did he feel so… empty?

A sigh was heard and he gazed down into the beverage with saddened sapphire orbs. It had been like that for awhile, the emptiness. Ever since that day…

Abruptly shoving the thought away, Roxas stood and downed the remainder of his drink before placing his mug into the sink. He strode back into the living room, glancing back over to the temporarily abandoned items. And now the real challenge began.

Decorating.

You would think after years of doing this by himself would make him a pretty good decorator. Guess again.

A few hours and a fall later, the blond managed to get something that looked remotely close to looking decent. Not quite, but almost. The decorations were packed far to close along the wide window sill and the tree was in the corner of the room where it was vaguely visible. But the blond was proud of his work. Sure, it wasn't award winning or anything stunning, but it was better than nothing. Spotting one of the figures on the window sill was a bit out of line, the teen leisurely strolled over to the window sill, reaching a hand out—

_**-THWACK!-**_

Giving a yelp, the blond jumped back and stared at the window with wide eyes, heart pounding quickly in his chest. After a few moments, he looked higher up on the window and found the source of the noise—a glob of snow was oozing down the window pane, steadily melting along the glass from the inside heat. Frowning a bit, Roxas walked back over to the window and then instantly scowled as he spotted the neighboring red head packing snow into his gloved hands and then chucking it at the window again with a grin.

Roxas was not amused.

Glaring, the blond reached out to the opposite ends of the window, gripped the curtains, and pulled them shut. He secured them with a ribbon and then went over to the couch, flopping on it in a bit of irritation. Why wouldn't this guy leave him alone? And throwing snowballs at the window? What _was_ he, ten years old?

With a huff, the blond closed his eyes, grabbing the light blue blanket from the top of the couch and spreading it over his frame. He lightly snuggled into it and was soon peacefully drifting off into yet another dreamless sleep.

•••

The next morning, when Roxas awoke and sat up, he instantly knew something was off. For one thing, the curtains were open, letting the bright sunlight stream into the living room. The second thing, though, was a small envelope with a bow was lying among the branches of the tree.

_How the hell did __that __get there?_

He stood and cracked his back, giving a small yawn as he stretched. Although the couch wasn't very comfortable, he wasn't about to sleep in his parent's room. Sauntering over to the plastic tree he had bought, Roxas snatched up the golden envelope and read the front.

_From Santa? Now who the hell put that there? It isn't even Christmas yet._

It was still at least a week until Christmas, so even the notion that a fat man in a red suit putting an envelope in a tree was utterly ridiculous. Without further delay, and a bit worried at the fact tat someone was able to get into his house, the blond tore open the envelope and blinked as something fell from it and clattered to the ground. He caught the glint of silver just as it slid beneath the couch, and gave a groan.

"Dammit…" He grumbled, kneeling down on his hands and knees and glancing around for the object. Why he was even bothering to look for it? Probably just out of curiosity from the mystery envelope.

After a minute, he finally spotted it and gently closed his hand around the object before drawing his arm back and gazing down at it. Roxas raised a brow in surprise, not quite sure what to make of the small thing.

It was a silver key with intricate designs along the very border of it, the tip in the shape of a heart. After a few moments, he closed his hand around the gift and then walked to his old room, finding the four year old silver chain he had owned since he was in seventh grade and slipped the key onto the chain, creating a necklace. He secured it around his own neck and let the key fall back against his chest, looking down at it for a moment. He wasn't really into jewelry or anything, but the key did look nice.

He let his gaze linger on the small key for a few more moments before lifting his head a bit and looking around. He'd have to get changed and go out to the town square for a bit. There were still a few things he had to get done, like getting some things to bake with. That apple bread was definitely not going to bake itself. As the Roxas hopped in the shower and did his usual wake up routine, he couldn't help as his mind strayed back to that irritating neighbor. Why in the world was he so hell bent on bothering him? It didn't make sense. Plus, since when did he have a red headed neighbor like _that_? Not for the years he had lived there. Then again, Roxas wasn't sure what kind of neighbors he had since he never really conversed with them…

And soon enough, the blond was out and about, strolling through the cold afternoon.

_Only six days until Christmas…_

Walking into the grocery store, the young male browsed the selection of items, picking out what he needed—sugar, nutmeg, apples… the list went on and on as he decided to bake other things as well, such as pies and cookies and what not. After all, he did learn how to bake rather well from his mom.

Leaving with two bags in his arms, the teen shivered as a cold wind began to whip up. God it was freezing. It had to be what, five degrees at most? Spotting a café, Roxas quickly made his way in and gave a relived sigh at the temperature change from cold to warm. Without hesitation, he made his way over to a booth and sat down, resting the bags on the seat beside him and gazing out the window and towards the winter wonderland. His mind began to wander. How long was he going to be like that? Would he ever be able to actually get out there in the world and do something for a change? He couldn't just waste away in that house.

Then again, he could. But he would prefer not to.

"Uh, sir? Can I take your order? Maybe a cup of coffee or hot chocolate?"

And that's when the younger's thoughts came to a screeching halt. Resisting the urge to groan, Roxas narrowed his eyes and turned to the new arrival.

"And why the hell are you here?"

The red head chuckled, placing a hand into his pocket and whipping out a pencil and notepad. He was wearing a canary yellow button up shirt and a long, jade green apron accompanied by dark blue jeans and a pair of black sneakers— some type of uniform. Roxas was glad he didn't work there, and definitely not just because of the uniform.

"So, hot chocolate then?" The taller mused, scribbling it down on the notepad.

"W-What? No! I'm not ordering anything, uh, Axel!" Roxas hissed angrily after spotting the silver name tag upon the elder's chest.

"That's fine, it's on the house."

And before the younger could protest, the taller was walking back towards the counter, hollering the order to a dirty blond with a mullet hairstyle. Roxas glared daggers into his back before scowling and looking out the window again, mind now occupied with planning the death of the red headed decoration stealer. Where did that guy get off by just suddenly getting him a free hot chocolate? And in thirty seconds flat, said cup full of warm, chocolaty goodness was placed before him, steam rising from the surface.

"One marshmallow or two?"

"Four." Roxas spat bitterly, furtively glancing at the emerald eyed waiter. There was no way he was cooperating with this guy.

"You know, sugar is gonna rot the hell out of your teeth. You sure you want four and not just two?"

"I said four. I meant it."

To the younger's surprise, the red head sighed and took a dish out, placing four puffy white marshmallows on it before sliding the dish next to the cup.

"Here you go, sir. If you need anything, just call."

Axel moved back to the counter. Sapphire eyes lingered, still in a bit of shock. What happened to that smart ass back in the store? This guy, Axel, didn't seem like someone to comply with anyone. Then again, maybe his job was on the line.

_Whatever. I don't give a crap._ All Roxas knew was he despised that guy. A lot.

By the time he was done with the beverage, the red head had sauntered his way back over to the booth, taking the cup off the table.

"Is that all for today?"

"Just go away."

_Keep looking out the window, just keep staring at the freakin' snow._

"Chill, blondie. Why are you so hostile?"

"Because you're a fucking asshole!" Roxas snapped, whipping his head around and scowling at the red head as his eyes burned with malice.

"Hey, that's fucking uncalled for!" Axel snapped back, narrowing his eyes. "I don't know what's got you so ticked off, but dump your shit somewhere else!"

"You know _exactly_ what's got me pissed off, you freakin decoration stealer!"

Axel blinked, taken aback for a moment. But before Roxas' mind could register what was going on, the red head was doubled over, shaking.

He was _laughing____?_

"O-Oh my god! Are you serious? You're _still_ ticked because I got that box before you did?" Axel wheezed, standing up and chuckling a bit.

The blonde's eye twitched. "Just let it go, blondie. I got it fair and square."

"You saw me coming, you fucking asshat! You could have been fucking courteous and let me get it since you CLEARLY saw-"

"Again, just let it go. I have it and there's honestly no point in dwelling in it, right _neighbor_?" He sniggered.

And that was that.

The teen abruptly stood up and shoved past the red head, ignoring the calls he heard from the other. Whipping the door open and slamming it shut behind him, he stalked down the sidewalk quickly, eyes narrowed dangerously as he glared down at the snow covered pavement. What the fuck was that guy's problem? He was such a cocky bastard, thinking he knew everything and what was best for everyone!

After a long hour of pelting inanimate objects with snowballs, the teen finally cooled down. He began to head home, still in a bit of a bad mood which only worsened as he realized he left all his bags at the café.

_Fuck it. It's not worth going back there._

Giving a sigh, Roxas continued onwards until he found himself at his front door… and he stared at it, puzzled. A green envelope was taped to it.

_The hell…?_

Rather confused, the teen took the envelope off the wooden surface, carefully opening it and glancing inside. He took out a slip of paper and opened it, reading the note within.

_Yuletide and Christmas,_

_Just look around and see._

_If you want to find another me,_

_Look in a place full of musical harmony._

The blond scoffed at the note and crumpled it up. What was this, some kind of stupid prank? The note didn't even make any sense! He tossed it out onto the snow below and unlocked the door, closing it behind him. God did he wish he had his bags. At least _then_ he could have distracted himself by baking…

•••

The following morning was a lazy one for Roxas. All he did was get up, go through the usual morning routine, and then plopped back down on the couch, cup of hot chocolate in hand, and turn on the laptop. He had just logged onto the computer when the door bell went off, startling the younger. He hadn't heard that sound in ages.

Placing the black device on the side, Roxas stood and stretched a bit before he started over to the door in his slippers. That was around when the door bell started ringing constantly and the blond was contemplating going and grabbing the metal baseball bat in the closet. Deciding against it, he grasped the door knob and turned it, opening the door.

And all he could do was stare.

"Okay, just like we rehearsed!" Axel said, grinning.

To the red head's left was the mulleted male that worked in the café with him, but the one to the coworker's left was someone different. A shorter male with periwinkle colored hair, one slate of it covering his right eye and leaving only the left one visible.

But no sooner had the teen realized that they all had binders, he visibly paled a bit.

_Oh good god— Please don't tell me—_

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly! Falalalalaaaaaa, lalaaaa, laaaaa, laaaaa!"

Roxas groaned, dropping his head in exasperation.

Caroling. They were _caroling_ at his _doorstep_.

Giving a sigh, he looked up to see it was Axel and his coworker singing, the other male remaining silent and giving an 'I-feel-so-bad-for-you-right-now' kind of look at the blond.

_Just dandy._

Growling a bit, the teen took a step back and slammed the door shut. But sadly, that didn't stop them for a whole two hours.

Roxas was utterly ticked. He wasn't able to get any work done that he needed to on his laptop because of the horribly off key singing just outside his door. And the urge to bash their heads in with the baseball bat was only growing stronger and stronger. And then by the grace of sweet, merciful Jesus, it stopped.

The teen paused for a moment, waiting for the horrible singing to come back, but it didn't. When he believed it was safe, Roxas gave a sigh of relief. Now he could get back to work on his online classes.

And only after a few words had been typed, was there a knock on the door. Now way beyond irritated, Roxas gave a frustrated yell and slammed the lid to his laptop before tossing it onto the side and storming over to the door, whipping it open as he seethed in pure anger. And lo and behold, it was none other than Axel.

"Hey, uh, you kind of had something under the—"

"In the name of all that is sane, _what the fuck do you want_?" Roxas wailed. "I'm trying to fucking WORK!"

"Sorry, but—"

"No, don't even fucking say it! Just leave me the fuck alone! You're ALWAYS bothering me! And I'm _sick_ of it!"

The red head cringed at the sheer volume of the blonde's voice and gulped a bit. "Kid, just listen for a minu—"

"Why? Are you going to sing _more_ goddamned carols? Just go away! I should just call the fucking cops—" Roxas was instantly silenced as the red head abruptly lifted an arm, a white bag dangling heavily from it.

"For one thing, you left your stuff back at the café. And two," He added, lowering his arm and sticking his other hand in his pocket. "This thing was stuck under your door mat." He retrieved his hand from his pocket, revealing a red envelope between his middle and pointer finger. The blond stared at the object and then groaned as he closed his eyes and placed a hand against them in exasperation.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"Hmm? No. Demyx, Zexion, and I noticed it sticking out from under your mat when we got here… What? You didn't see it?" The red head questioned, waving the envelope lightly.

"J-Just give me that!" Roxas said hastily, snatching the envelope from the elder. "And can I get my bags?"

Axel merely shrugged.

"I don't see why not. They _are_ yours after all."

Roxas rolled his eyes and then snatched the bags as well, placing them to his side before he looked back at the elder male, gave a small thanks, and then slammed the door in his face.

Well, at least he said thanks, right?

The blond proceeded to go and put all of the bag's contents away in their appropriate places, thanking whatever higher power was there that the carolers weren't singing any longer. He glanced back at the kitchen table, gaze pausing on the envelope.

"… Who keeps doing this?" He mumbled, quietly.

_It didn't make any sense. Someone was wasting their time, going and putting these things on his door… I should at least humor them._

Roxas dragged a chair over to the table and then reached over, ripped the envelope open, and read the slip of paper inside.

_For one to be truly happy,_

_They must be free._

_I am in a well known place,_

_Taller than most men,_

_Forever remembered in the hearts of many._

The blonde's eye twitched as he read over it a few more times and then sighed. _What kind of a friggin' riddle is this?_

After a few more moments, the teen blinked. A riddle… that's what it was. But…where? Taller than most men? Forever remembered? What could possibly have been wicked tall in a well known place and remembere—

And then the light bulb went off.

"That statue." He mumbled in surprise.

There was a statue in the town square that towered over practically everyone and it was of a guy who had originally founded the town. Of course he'd be remembered. And town square was always bustling.

Snatching up his coat, Roxas grabbed his house key and quickly shut the door behind him, locking it before he took off towards the center of town. And vaguely, in the back of the blonde's mind, he couldn't help but wonder. Why was he doing this? It didn't make any sense…

And the thought was gone no sooner did he step up to the statue's platform.

"O-Okay. Now, where are you?" He grumbled, looking over the statue with a carefully eye.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, maybe he had gotten the riddle wrong? Roxas mulled over the possibility a bit as he circled the darkened statue before he spotted a dash of color on it, inside the statue's sleeve.

_Found you._

The blond reached up and barely grasped the envelope, pulling it out and then flipping it open, eyes scanning the paper.

_From here, I can see all,_

_The moon reflecting back up to me,_

_But only during the dark of night._

_I sometimes get lonely,_

_And there is not much to do,_

_But being here is definitely worth it,_

_For such a spectacular view._

Roxas blinked and furrowed his brows a bit. Now where on Earth could that be? A place where there was a good view, where the moon reflected back up. So it would have to be some place up high…

Well, there were two possibilities.

One was the observatory tower towards the outskirts of town. You could see practically everything from up there, including the blonde's small house on the fifth avenue. So that was a possibility…

Another was the Twilight Falls, or 'The Heights', as they were appropriately nicknamed; the local waterfalls with cliffs of no return that you hoped to god you didn't fall off of. Roxas had heard different things about that place… How wonderful it was to look out from there and see the beauty of nature…

But... what about the moon part of the riddle?

A cold breeze and a shiver later, the blond deducted it was far too cold for him to just be standing there, mulling over a piece of paper…

That, or maybe it was all the stares he was getting from the individuals on the sidewalk. He wasn't too sure.

Taking his leave and heading home, Roxas kept thinking about the newest riddle… the moon? If it was reflecting up, then it would have to shine somewhere on the ground… The problem was, both locations had bodies of water that could reflect the moon with ease… He was missing something here. It wasn't making any sense. And when he reached for the key in his pocket, he paused.

_Wait, he said it was lonely. Which means it would have to be somewhere secluded —_ _not scenic._

With the surprisingly new revelation, Roxas quickly pulled a key out from his pocket and fumbled with the door knob before it swung open. Not even bothering to shut the door, the blond dashed over to his laptop and began to search for places in town, ones that weren't so well known that matched the description.

After a long twenty minutes, the teen gave a groan, massaging his temples. How could such a place be so damn hard to find in that town?

"Come on!" He snapped as he slammed his hands down on the keyboard angrily, muttering profanities as he scowled a bit.

To his surprise, another window popped up, showing a picture of The Heights. Realizing it popped up because of him accidentally clicking on it from slamming the keyboard, Roxas sighed and went to go close the webpage with the picture, but he paused. His scowl alleviated a bit into a frown as he noticed a dark spot, barely noticeable behind the roaring falls. He zoomed in on the picture a bit, focusing on that darkened spot. It looked like it was hollow…

_A cave…? A secluded place, it's high up, and you can see the moon's reflection from the water…_

Well, it was worth a shot. He'd work on those online classes later. And once again, the blond was off and running, wanting to get there and back before dark… God knew he wouldn't be able to see a damned thing if that happened.

It only took him about a half hour to get there, to the male's delight. So he had about an hour of daylight left. Carefully walking the dirt trail, Roxas occasionally glanced over at the giant cliff. It certainly was one monster of a cliff. He could only imagine what it was like to fall from that height, but one thing was a fact. Nothing could survive from that kind of fall. The young male continued to climb for a few more minutes before he noticed a vaguely worn path branching off towards the right, in direction of the falls. Deciding to try this path, the blond turned and began moving branches, walking through the brush. The passage began to go up on an incline, and the teen followed faithfully. He couldn't help but wonder… why?

Why was he doing this?

Noticing the ground was fading from dirt to stone, Roxas looked up to see the loud, roaring falls and a stone path winding behind it. Luckily, the path was rather large, just like a sidewalk.

Walking along the path, the younger glanced out and slowed to a halt. It was breathtaking, the view. The pastel colors of the sunset were clearly seen through the rush of water, intensifying and making the sight mesmerizing as the sun was beginning to slowly descend below the horizon.

"Wow." Roxas breathed in awe. It was just spectacular. If only he brought a camera, it was just absolutely stunning.

Recalling the original reason he was there, the blond glanced ahead and walked further before he came to the actual cave. It seemed actually quite cozy… It was very dry and someone could have actually made a home there if they wanted to. Roxas looked over and spotted a golden envelope, sitting neatly on top of a flattened boulder. Walking over, he grabbed it and stuffed it in his pocket before quickly exiting, being careful not to lose his balance. He had to make it home quickly or he'd get lost in the dark.

•••

Over the next few days, Roxas began to notice he was becoming more and more engrossed with this game he was thrown into. It was weird. He shouldn't have cared about those stupid riddles or anything, right? Was he crazy for going along with them?

Maybe.

Giving a small sigh, he strolled into the café where that stupid, irritating neighbor worked, but then he began to wonder, why was he _really_ mad at him? It seemed kind of stupid to be so ticked over a Christmas decoration. What Axel had said that day was right. There was no point in dwelling in what happened in the past. That's where it was and that was where it belonged.

"Welco- heeeeey! Blondie, you're back!" The red head chuckled, giving a wide grin.

Roxas mentally groaned. _Now_ he remembered why he didn't like this guy…

"Don't call me blondie."

"Well, is 'kid' a better term then?"

"No, that's worse!" Roxas hissed. "Just call me Roxas!"

"How about Foxy Roxy?" Axel continued to tease, smirking as he leaned on the podium.

_Do not punch him, don't do it. Just don't…_

"Do you want a broken nose? I'm giving them out for free." The blond growled, eyes narrowing dangerously.

The red head merely chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah, I'm good. So, what brought you by? I thought you absolutely hated it here."

"I was just in the area and thought I'd stop in for a hot chocolate, nothing more." The blond muttered, looking away from the taller individual. He heard as Axel hummed in thought

"I see. So, just a hot chocolate then?" The waiter questioned, the distinct sound of pen on paper being heard as he wrote down the order.

"Yeah."

"Alright. Take a seat and I'll be over with your drink in a minute."

Roxas gave a small nod and trudged over to an empty seat, shrugging off his black sweat shirt and leaving him in a black undershirt, a pair of white and black checked wristbands with a pair of light blue jeans. With a small huff, he drew out a blue envelope, opening it and drawing the piece of paper out.

_Tomorrow is the day many have awaited,_

_And here I am, nestled neatly beneath._

_It is warm here as I await you to find me,_

_In this familiar place of yours._

"What's that? A love note?"

The teen took a sharp breath and jumped, whipping his head up to see the amused red head as he set the cup of hot chocolate down before him.

"What the hell! _Don't_ fucking do that!" Roxas snapped angrily, folding the paper and slipping it back into his pocket.

"You didn't answer my question~"

"No, it isn't a goddamned love letter."

"Really? I figured you'd be pretty popular with the ladies with your charming attitude."

"Axel…" The blond warned.

"Alright, I'll bite… what is that note? You don't seem like the type of person to be interested in just anything."

"Just… someone's been setting up these stupid riddles…" Roxas huffed, propping his elbow up and resting his chin on his palm.

"Riddles, huh? Seems fun… I didn't think you were into riddles." The red head thought aloud, acidic green locking onto cobalt blue.

"…I'm not."

"Hmm…"

After a few moments, the taller turned back towards the counter.

"Dem! I'm taking my break now!" Axel shouted before he slid into the booth across from the teen, looking at him intently.

Roxas hesitated, seeing the look he was getting. Maybe he shouldn't have opened his big mouth… Why did he bother to do so in the first place?

"You didn't like solving riddles before, but you clearly changed your mind for these. So the question is what changed it?" Axel questioned, leaning forward a bit and resting his arms on the table.

"I don't know. I thought I'd give it a chance." The blond replied carefully. He wasn't used to having to explain himself to other people.

"And the reason is because…?"

"The hell if I know. I'm just sick of being lonely, I guess."

"Lonely? Don't you live with anyone?" Axel asked in alarm, eyes widening a bit.

Roxas hesitated. It was a personal and touchy subject.

"It's complicated, but yeah, I do live alone."

"Shit Roxas. Do you even have a job?"

"Yeah, but it's online. As are my classes."

"Are they college classes?"

Roxas nodded and then frowned a bit before pausing and asking a question himself. It was bugging him. "Why do you care?"

The blond observed carefully as the other male froze up a bit. Realizing his mistake, the red head tried to quickly cover it up with a sheepish smile, but the teen wasn't stupid. Axel was hiding something. "What? A friend can't be concerned about another friend?"

"Not in this case, since we aren't even friends." Roxas replied sharply.

"Awww, Roxie, you are in _my_ book." Axel whined playfully, pretending to pout.

And although the blond wanted to chuckle, he blatantly refused to. He was not giving in to these childish antics.

"And how old are you? Ten?" He asked sarcastically, lifting the cup to his lips.

"Actually, I'm twenty one."

And that's when the smaller male choked and began coughing. Twenty one? He looked like he was only nineteen or so!

"Whoa, are you alrig—"

"H-Holy c-c-crap! A-Are you serious?" Roxas wheezed, staring at the male in bewilderment.

Axel blinked and raised a thin, red brow.

"Didn't think it would be that much of a shock. Yeah, I'm twenty one."

"Geez! I thought you were younger!"

"Psh, way to make me feel like an old man." The red head scoffed, leaning back against his current seat.

Roxas was about to retort, but his mind seemed to pause for a minute. Why did it feel like he knew this guy already? Almost like they had been best friends for ages...

Weird. Maybe he really _was_ losing his mind after all. "Right. How much was the hot chocolate?"

"A dollar fifty." The blond stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out a gray wallet, flipping it open. Slipping a dollar and two quarters out, he slid it over to the red head.

"Here. See ya."

Without another word, the blond stood as he grabbed his sweatshirt, starting to walk towards the door as he shrugged it on. Here could hear the clatter of the other male scrambling to his feet and inwardly sighed. This guy seemed to just love to bother him.

"Roxas!" The teen turned a bit, glancing at the taller.

"You know, you don't have to be alone this holiday season."

Mulling over the words a bit, Roxas gave a low, bitter chuckle, shaking his head.

"Sorry, but its tradition." The younger replied curtly before he turned back towards the door and exited the establishment. Yet, some part of him just wished he could stay.

•••

Roxas twirled the piece of paper around in his right hand as he lay on the couch, holding the riddle above him while his other arm lay beneath his head. It was strange. Of all people, who would go out of their way just to set up all these riddles? It was romantic, in a way, but at the same time it was fun. It made the blond explore, see different things, live a little on the adventurous side.

Maybe, just maybe… he was falling in love with these riddles.

It was changing him, the teen realized. It was showing him a side of life he never thought about, the 'real world' and all of its wonders. He couldn't just waste away, lying on the couch with his laptop.

These riddles held so much more meaning than Roxas ever thought they would. And for once, the blond didn't feel lonely. Instead, he was looking forward to each riddle, wondering where it would take him next.

_Wow… It's strange how a simple riddle can change so many things. Or lead to that many more._

And now, he had to figure out this new riddle.

So what he knew was it was nestled beneath something, and the 'familiar place of his'. The house, perhaps? It couldn't be the hidden cavern because there was no place to really 'nestle' anything. Plus, it wasn't always warm. So, the house had to be his best bet. Sitting up, Roxas glanced around, but he didn't have to look far at all. Lying neatly below the tree in the corner was a box, wrapped in colorful paper and finished off with a beautiful red ribbon, forming a bow at the very surface. The younger male hesitated a bit, unsure. He wasn't exactly expecting a box, but another envelope. Not only that, but he had yet to figure out how the first envelope, and now this box, managed to get into his house.

_I doubt it's dangerous. Then again, you can never be too sure. But the person behind the riddles doesn't seem hostile or harmful or even threatening._

And so he went by that rational. Striding over to the tree, Roxas lifted the box and untied the ribbon, letting it fall to the wooden floor. Finding a small tab of wrapping paper jutting out a bit, the teen also tore the colorful paper off, looking at what lay before him in awe.

It was a beautiful cherry wood box with a heart outlined and carved along the surface, a small golden latch securing the lid shut. The male lightly trembled as he reached a hand out and lightly undid the latch, watching as it opened, revealing a small keyhole within the center of the velvety inside.

He recognized that shape.

Reaching up, Roxas lightly brought the key on the chain of his necklace out from beneath his shirt, looking from the teeth and shape of the key to the keyhole.

A perfect match.

"Oh my god…" He whispered shakily, taking the key off the necklace and then inserting it into the slot in the box, twisting it.

And never before had Roxas ever heard such a beautiful melody. It was soft and soothing, almost like a lullaby, but the underlying tone was joyous instead of comforting. Before the blond realized it, his eyes were filled to the brim with tears, blurring his vision a bit before they cascaded down his cheeks.

Everything about this music box was beautiful.

Not once did the blond ever reach up and wipe away those tears. He merely cracked a smile and gave a soft laugh.

No, he didn't feel lonely anymore.

•••

It was Christmas morning and Roxas was in the kitchen, humming the tune to jungle bells as he pulled the freshly baked apple bread out of the oven. Breathing in the wonderful scent, the teen gave a content sigh as he turned and placed the hot pan onto an empty plate on the kitchen table. Before he could go and grab a knife to cut himself a piece though, the sound of the doorbell echoed through the house.

_Again this week? Must be Axel._

The smaller male sauntered out of the kitchen and down the hall, untying the green apron he was currently wearing and placing it on a coat hanger by the door.

"Hold on." Roxas called as he reached down and unlocked the door.

And when he swung that door open, he only got a few seconds to look out before something cold and wet pelted him in the face. He yelped and jumped back, swiping the remainder of the snowball off of his face before staring outside in absolute bewilderment.

The hysterical laughter he heard was not helping him in the slightest either.

"Y-You should have seen your face!" Axel roared in laughter, clutching his stomach as he doubled over, tears collecting at the corners of his eyes.

After a few moments, Roxas regained his composure before he considered his options. He could go out there and beat the crap out of Axel before shoving snow down his throat. Then again, he could also lock him out and ignore him. Opting for the latter since it couldn't get him possibly arrested for assault, the blond smirked.

"Nice seeing you too, jackass. Goodbye."

"W-Wait! R-Roxas! Come on!" The red head pleaded. But he just couldn't keep that snicker to himself.

"Yeah. Bye." And the door was slammed shut. The sad thing was that in literally four seconds, there was banging on the front door.

"Open up, Roxas! I was just horsing around!"

_I swear those riddles killed my mean streak._

With a roll of his eyes, the blond opened the door and glared at the taller.

"Get your ass in here before I decide to let you become a damned popsicle." Roxas stepped aside and Axel walked in looking around in awe.

"Wow… you seriously need to decorate in here or somethi—OW! What the hell?" Axel yelped, looking at the blond as he rubbed the side of his head where he had been smacked.

"Don't insult my decorating skills." The teen growled, placing the rolled up magazine he had quickly snatched back on the side table and crossed his arms across his chest.

Now it was the red head's turn to roll his eyes.

"Whatever, princess. And you know, something smells awfully good."

"That would be the apple bread in the kitchen. It's cooling a bit right now." He explained, ignoring the earlier insult but noting it so he could get back at the elder. He wasn't one to be underestimated. Not ever.

"Can I have some? Please Roxie?" Axel pleaded, trying to give his best puppy dog eyes he could.

Too bad that never worked on Roxas. "No. It needs to cool and why the heck would I give you a piece?" The blond scoffed, raising a brow.

"Well, because we're friends!"

"Last time I checked, you were a waiter at a café and a neighbor. Not a friend."

"Fiiiine." The red head huffed and mock pouted, looking about the room.

The teen watched as poison green eyes rested on the music box at the other end of the room, a small smile playing at his lips. "That's really nice. Where'd you get it?"

"Hmm? It's just a gift from someone." Roxas replied nonchalantly, moving back into the kitchen for a moment as he grabbed another plate.

Taking the knife he had placed on the stove before hand, the blond cut a part of the apple bread into a thin slice and popped it into his mouth.

_Not bad. I think I have that recipe down now._

"Oh, Right! Hey Roxas, can I borrow some sugar for my coffee? That's why I came over." Axel piped up, poking his head into the room.

"Top right cabinet."

"Thanks!"

Now focusing solely on the bread, Roxas took the knife up again and began to cut even more slices for later as the red head walked leisurely by him and over to the cabinet, rummaging through it.

"You know, you're a lot more social than at the beginning of this week. Not as much of a loose cannon." Axel stated thoughtfully as he grabbed a zip lock bag and opened it.

"Really." The shorter mused, continuing to cut the apple bread. "I didn't notice."

"Yeah. Well, Merry Christmas Rox. And I'm glad to see you're doing better than before."

The smaller male merely nodded and placed the knife down beside the pan. He lightly picked up the now cool pan and tipped it upside down, watching as the slices fell onto the plate as he gave a small smile. "Merry Christmas to you too, Axel."

After another few moments, the red head gave a loud yawn and walked back towards the hall, the teen looking up and frowning a bit. Where was Axel going?

"Thanks for the sugar and I'll see you around. I'm exhausted."

"You really are an old man, but alright. See ya." Roxas replied wryly and he smirked a bit, placing the pan down and wandered over to the hallway where the red head was now standing.

Grasping the door knob, he pulled it open and watched as the red head walked out, giving a friendly wave before he started to head back towards his own property in the small flurry of flakes that had begun to fall. The teen's gaze lingered for a few more moments before he gently closed the door, giving a small smile. He honestly enjoyed Axels' company.

Even if he _was_ mostly a pain in the ass.

Chuckling to himself, Roxas waltzed back into the living room and observed his surroundings. Okay, maybe the red head had a point. His decorating needed some work. As the shorter surveyed the room, his eyes locked onto the music box, widening slightly.

A silver envelope lay on top of it.

Not wasting any time, the teen briskly walked over to the table and picked up the envelope, hands tearing it and peering inside. Spotting the letter, Roxas took it out and began to read.

_I'm glad to see how well you've done with these riddles. Most of them were pretty hard to figure out, but you got every single one of them. Congrats! Did you have fun? I know I did. Most of those places were my favorite spots, like the cave in the falls. I found that place three years ago and it's still my favorite place in this whole town. Anyways, Merry Christmas._

_~The Trickster_

_P.S. You weren't alone this holiday season after all._

And the teen felt everything slow down and as he read the final line of the note. A realization dawned on him, making time stop and freeze completely.

_No, it couldn't have been..._

The note slipped from the blonde's hands and he dashed to the hallway. Slipping his shoes on faster than Speedy Gonzalez himself, Roxas whipped the door open and dashed out into the chilly climate, frantically looking around. When he spotted what he was looking for, the blond broke into a desperate run, snow crunching loudly and seeming to echo a bit in the air.

It seemed to take forever, those seconds as they ticked by.

When Roxas finally reached his target, he grasped onto the other's arm, whipping him around as he panted. Surprised emerald green met pleading sapphire blue.

"Roxas? What's wro—"

"You! You were the one doing all of this? All these riddles and the music box?" The blond demanded, his eyes searching the elder's for some sort of answer as he clenched his fists by his sides.

The red head's eyes widened a bit in shock before he hesitated, gaze finding a new interest in the snow beneath them. But Roxas wasn't taking that response.

"Well? Tell me, dammit!"

The few minutes that passed felt like eternities, neither male saying a word or moving an inch. And then finally, Axel spoke.

"I'm the Trickster."

"But… why? Why did you go through so much trouble for someone you barely freakin'-"

"Roxas, no one deserves to be alone on Christmas."

The younger was left speechless. Not once had anyone ever cared enough to go out of their way for him. _Never._ It had been quite a few years of loneliness; then again, the blonde's previous antisocial antics didn't help his situation at all.

"I don't understand…" Roxas whispered, furrowing his brows as he down to the ground in thought.

With a small chuckle, Axel stepped forward and gently lifted the blonde's chin.

"You don't have to, Roxas. Some things just _are_."

That simple sentence suddenly made everything clear. They fought, laughed, had fun, and joked around all the time. This was the Trickster, this was Axel.

The only person Roxas ever trusted enough to open the door to his heart.

The smaller lightly wrapped his arms around the red head's middle, burying his head into the elder's chest.

"Thank you. Thank you so much for everything." The blond whispered gratefully, feeling tears beginning to form behind closed eyelids.

He felt a pair of arms wrap around him as well, and he could practically see the grin on Axel's face…

"You don't have to thank me Roxas. You just needed a bit of help to open your eyes." Roxas gave a soft laugh, cracking the first genuine smile in a very long time.

_And to think it all started with an inflatable snow globe._


End file.
